Overview of Window

Managers Available For

Linux/XFree86

 

Brian Ricker


twm - Tabbed Window Manager

Screen Capture - 13847 bytes

 

Default window manager with minimal features available on most X11 implementations

 

Features

 

Performance - Medium executable size and memory requirements, minimal color requirements for decorations


vtwm - Virtual Tabbed Window Manager

Screen Capture - 16279 bytes

 

twm with virtual desktop enhancements

 

Features

 

Performance - Roughly same as standard twm, slightly greater memory requirements for virtual screen features


ctwm

Screen Capture - 153006 bytes

 

Enhanced window manager based on twm code

 

Features

 

Performance - Significantly larger executable than twm, can use a lot of colors depending on bitmaps used for icons and buttons


wm2

Screen Capture - 125413 bytes

 

Extremely minimal window manager

 

Features

 

Performance - Extremely small, uses little memory and only 2 colors


9wm

 

Minimal window manager based on window manager included in 8 1/2, the windowing system used with Plan 9.

 

Features

 

Performance - Extremely small, uses little memory and only 2 colors, makes wm2 look extravagant


olwm/olvwm - Open Look Window Manager

Screen Capture - 18825 bytes

 

Window manager used with Open Windows/Open Look. Used to be the default window manager for SunOS/Solaris, being replaced by Motif/CDE.

 

Features

 

Performance - Since these window managers use the XView and OpenLook libraries, they tend to use large amounts of memory.


mwm/dtwm - Motif Window Manager/Desktop Window Manager

Screen Capture - 66426 bytes

 

Window manager included with OSF Motif. Desktop Window Manager part of Motif/CDE.

 

Features

 

Performance - Mwm lacks features available in more modern window managers (i.e. fvwm). Dtwm is a good choice for a standard setup in a multi-platform environment.


fvwm - f(?) Virtual Window Manager

Screen Capture - 15664 bytes

 

Feature laden window manager included with most Linux distributions.

 

Features

 

Performance - The base fvwm manager is equivalent in size and memory requirements to twm. The modular features tend to consume resources as they are used. The extensive use of colors can use up the color map on a 8-bit sever.


fvwm-95 - f(?) Virtual Window Manager 95

Screen Capture - 27253 bytes

 

Fvwm with Windows 95 look and feel.

 

Features

 

Performance - Similar to fvwm, even more extensive use of colors in the default configuration makes 8-bit server use with color intensive applications (e.g. Netscape) difficult.


AfterStep

Screen Capture - 360961 bytes

 

Fvwm with NextStep look and feel.

Features

 

Performance - Almost unusable on 8-bit displays due to shaded title bars which use several colors out of the default colormap.


Other Fvwm Derivatives

 

 

 

 


Current Versions

 


Web Resources

 


Last Modified: 24 January 1997

St. Louis Unix Users Group - Linux SIG